Multi-section vacuum tube and socket combination



Feb. 1, 1966 J. K. BRADLEY 3,233,138

MULTI-SECTION VACUUM TUBE AND SOCKET COMBINATION Filed June 7, 1962 7' USE Id /1'57 MIT/7 RECEPf/ICLEJ INVENTOR. f/JMES A. (if/901E) United States Patent 3,233,138 MUL'il-SEQTIQN VACUUM TUBE AND SUCKET (IGMBINATION James K. Bradley, Wayne, Pa., assignor to Philco Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa, a corporation of Delaware Filed June 7, 1962. Ser. No. 200,780 1 Claim. (Cl. 313-318) This invention relates to multi-section electron devices, such as twin triode or twin pentode vacuum tubes, and the sockets therefor. More particularly the invention relates to electron devices, such as vacuum tubes, having a plurality of sections which serve to perform similar functions, as where two sections provide two similar stages of amplification.

Heretofore such devices and their sockets have been provided with indexing means which enable insertion in the socket in only one way. With normal manufacturing variations this can result in a considerable number of rejections because each section of the device is restricted to use in a particular circuit.

One object of the present invention is to overcome this objection.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel multi-section base and socket structure which enables a choice of connections of the said sections to the associated circuits.-

The invention may be fully understood from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanyin-g drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is an enlarged face view of a tube base constructed in accordance with one embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged face view of a socket constructed in accordance with this invention to accommodate the tube base of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical illustration of the tube, showing the tube elements connected to the Pins.

Referring first to FIG. 1, the tube base shown is that of a dual pentode having a common cathode heater or filament, although it will be seen that the invention is applicable to any multi-section tube having similar sections. Mounted on the tube base 10 are a pair of indexing pins 11 and 12 which are equiangularly located at a common radial distance from the center of the base. Since in the dual tube embodiment illustrated there are only two such pins, they are located at the extremities of a diameter of a circle shown in phantom at 13. These pins may also serve as terminals for the filament which is shown in phantom at 14.

Also mounted on the tube base 10 are two sets of electrode pins, with the corresponding pins of said sets equiangularly located at a common radical distance from the center of the base different from the first-mentioned radial distance. Since in this instance there are only two sets of electrode pins, the corresponding pins of said sets are located at the extremities of diameters of another circle shown in phantom at 15 which is concentric with the first circle and in the embodiment shown is smaller than the first circle. One set of electrode pins comprises pins 1a to a which may be respectively the pins for the cathode, the control grid, the screen grid, the suppressor grid, and the anode for one tube section. The other set of electrode pins similarly comprises pins 1b to 5b which are resepectively the pins for the successive electrodes of the second tube section. The corresponding pins of the two sets of electrode pins are diametrically opposed to one another. Thus pins 1a and 1b are diametrically opposed to each other, pins 2a and 2b are diametrically opposed to each other, etc.

Referring now to FIG. 2, there is shown the socket which is to be used with the tube base of FIG. 1. The

socket has pin receptacles similar in number and arrangement to the pins of the tube base so as to receive the pins. The socket elements are designated by primed reference numerals corresponding to the reference numerals of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows diagrammatically the two sections of the dual pentode and also shows the connections of the tube elements to the pins.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description that in the embodiment illustrated the tube pins can be inserted in the socket receptacles in either of two positions 180 apart which are established by the indexing filament pins 11 and 12 and their socket receptacles 11 and 12'. Thus the tube pins can be inserted in each of the two positions to determine which gives the better operation. In each position the electrode pins are bound to enter the proper receptacles because corresponding pins of the two tube sections are diametrically opposed to one another and likewise corresponding pin receptacles of the socket sections are diametrically opposed to each other.

In the illustrated embodiment the invention is applied to a base and socket for a dual-section electron device such as a dual pentode, and the corresponding elements are 180 apart so as to be equiangularly located. However the invention is applicable to a base and socket for an electron device having a greater number of sections. For example in the case of a tri-section device the base and socket would have three similar sets of elements with the corresponding elements of the sets apart, the base and socket also having indexing means for enabling insertion with the base located in any one of three positions.

Thus while a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it will be apparent that the invention is not limited thereto but contemplates such modifications and further embodiments as may occur to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

A dual-section vacuum tube and socket combination, said tube comprising two identical sets of electrodes, a tube base, two identical sets of pins on said base corresponding respectively to said sets of electrodes, the electrodes of each set of electrodes being connected respectively to the pins of the corresponding set of pins, the corresponding pins of said two sets of pins being diametrically opposite one another at a first radial distance from the center of said base, a pair of identical indexing pins on said base diametrically opposite one another at a second radial distance from the center of said base, a filament common to said two sets of electrodes having its ends connected respectively to said indexing pins, said socket having two sets of pin receptacles similar in number and arrangement to the first-mentioned pins, and also having a pair of identical indexing pin receptacles similar in arrangement to said indexing pins to receive the latter, whereby said tube may be indexed in either of two positions relative to said socket to enable insertion of each set of electrode pins into each set of receptacles.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,148,965 2/1939 chlitz 3131 2,232,066 2/1941 Herriger 3l36 2,233,067 2/ 1941 Alden 339184 X 2,595,188 4/1952 Dalcamp 339193 2,690,523 9/1954 Sponsler 31535 2,915,734 12/1959 Alden 339193 X 2,922,054 1/1960 Miller 33932 X 3,004,185 10/1961 Rose 313-318 X DAVID J. GALVIN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH D. MYERS, Examiner. 

